Contour shaped support pillow

ABSTRACT

A contour shaped support pillow is provided including a trough located at an upper center of a front surface of the pillow, side support areas on the front surface at sides of the trough, and first and second neck support areas above and below the trough. A substantially flat back surface adjoins the front surface at an outer rear edge. A parting line is on the front surface following the outer rear edge and terminates on each side of the first neck support area at the outer rear edge. An edge region is between the parting line and the outer rear edge. The trough, the side support areas, and the first and second neck support areas within the parting line form a concave surface. A top of the front surface between the parting line and the outer rear edge of the back surface has a concave shape.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a support pillow, and moreparticularly, to a contour shaped support pillow.

2. Description of Related Art

Children in particular, but also adults, have a tendency to roll or droptheir heads sideways and sometimes forward while sleeping in a seatedposition. This is very uncomfortable, and causes the person sleeping tolack proper rest as a result. Many sleep pattern interruptions occurwhile fighting this position of imbalance during sleep. Sitting fullyupright poses the greatest challenge in maintaining a balanced headposition while trying to sleep. Usually, and especially in children, theupper torso will follow the head's position to the side, to the point ofmoving the person's body completely off center.

Many pillows have been developed to control a person's head positionwhen seated in repose. Resulting prior art pillows tend to either be toobulky, incorporating too much material, or they are placed around aperson's head and neck in an awkward position, or they allow forexcessive movement of the head, which in turn causes the body to followthe head's position to the side. None keep the head balanced rather thancradled and none are designed in a contoured form to keep the headbalanced effectively.

One of these prior art pillows is described by McNiel, U.S. Pat. No.5,471,690, which is incorporated herein by reference. McNiel states thatfreedom of head movement, even the freedom in sliding of the body is animportant consideration in the pillow's development, therebyfacilitating a person's head and body to easily become off balance whilesleeping in a seated position. Silver et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,349,which is incorporated herein by reference, references a pillow which isU-shaped for cradling a person's head and neck. By examining thatpillow's design it becomes apparent that a person's neck and head arecradled by that or similar designs. One of the disadvantages of suchdesigns is that the neck is forced forward by the thickness and thecomposition of the pillow's back side, thereby requiring a constant backpressure to keep the head in a resting position. Furthermore, due to itsdesign, that pillow is not suitable for use by smaller children becauseof their lack of ability to apply enough back pressure against thepillow. Also, the U-shaped pillow only offers indirect head sidesupport. The head side support is achieved by supporting the jaw boneswhich roll onto the pillow's side arm surface, rather than by supportingthe skull itself, which is an uncomfortable solution. That pillow's useis not only uncomfortable, but also restricting and awkward. Due to itsplacement position it easily wrinkles collars and clothing in the neckand shoulder areas of the persons using it, which many times arebusiness travelers. It also causes the head to tilt to one side oranother onto the U-Shaped arms creating excessive and uncomfortablepressure points on one's cheek area and face. Lincoln, U.S. Pat. Pub.No. 2005/0264055 A1, which is incorporated herein by reference, isdesigned to provide lateral padding to protect the sides of a child'sface. The design of that pillow is specific to a child's car seat. Itsexcess side material for the purpose of side face protection will causeexcessive heat buildup. The pillow includes a central hole and two necksupport areas, one on the lower portion and one on the upper portion ofthe pillow, which along with the side support areas cause the pillow toform an enclosure (cradle) around the user's head when applied for use.Harnish, U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,633, and Gold et al., U.S. Pat. No.6,938,958 B2, both of which are incorporated herein by reference, arenot pre-shaped to conform to the natural lines and form of the contactarea of a person's rear skull area. The pillows only display genericsurfaces, and due to their shape and incorporated angles and becausethose devices do not offer an effective natural neck support area, thehead is easily allowed to roll out of them. In fact, the pillows placethe head in a position conducive to being off balance due to theirthickness. The pillows do not keep the head balanced and therefore thehead will eventually fall sideways and/or forward in the direction ofthe straight or diverging wing angles. Other prior art pillows, such asthose mentioned in Kogan, U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,792, and Josefek, U.S.Pat. No. 4,773,107, both of which are incorporated herein by reference,are primarily designed for rest in a supine position and incorporateexcessive use of material, which is not user friendly for travel.

In summary, prior art pillows allow for excessive head movement, areplaced around a person's neck and head at very uncomfortable positions,or they offer too much contact area with the top and sides of a person'shead and neck circumference, which creates a feeling of cradling andconstriction. Further, some of the prior art pillows promote heatbuildup around the head region. Most prior art pillows are not designedfor both children and adults. Further, none take balance into account,which is an important aspect of rest. Thus, there is a need for a pillowfor both children and adults that keeps the head balanced in itscentered and most comfortable position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A contour shaped pillow is provided to balance and to maintain aperson's head in its neutral resting position. The pillow includes twoupper side support areas with a trough centered between the two upperside support areas. The pillow has two neck support areas contour shapedto fill the area between a person's neck and a substantially flatsurface upon which a person chooses to rest with an approximately flatback side with or without a fastening device. The pillow offers acomfortable front form molded to fit the contour and shape of a person'sback skull and neck areas.

The contour shaped support pillow of the present invention provides anadequate and highly effective means of stabilizing the head in its mostcomfortable centered position, giving the head and the body the bestchance to naturally maintain their balance and upright position whilesleeping in a seated state. The pillow offers two neck support surfacesdesigned to relax the head supporting muscles and a concave center areamolded to support the back side of the skull without forcing it forwardwhen seated as do other inventions. The neck support surfaces are shapedfor a better fit for providing support without cradling the user in anyway. The pillow is small and convenient for use while traveling or athome. The pillow counteracts the natural tendency of the human head todrop sideways and forward while sleeping in a seated body position,thereby affording maximum rest quality to the user. The pillow is lightin weight for ease of handling. The pillow makes efficient use of thematerial which comprises its make-up. The pillow keeps the user's facearea clear, as the pillow does not require any face area contact, thusunnecessary heat buildup will be avoided and the user will be awarded afeeling of being free and unrestricted. The pillow does not cradle aperson's head or neck. The pillow awards the user a higher degree ofcomfort by distributing the weight of the user's head evenly across itscontour shaped surface area. The pillow is suitable for use by all agegroups and is fashionable and pleasing to the eye. The pillow can beused without wrinkling the user's clothes.

A contour shaped support pillow is provided. The contour shaped supportpillow balances and maintains a person's head in a neutral restingposition. A trough is located at an upper center of a front surface ofthe pillow. Side support areas are on the front surface at a right sideof the trough and a left side of the trough. A first neck support areais on the front surface below the trough. A second neck support area ison the front surface above the trough. A substantially flat back surfaceadjoins the front surface at an outer rear edge. A parting line is onthe front surface of the pillow following the outer rear edge andterminates on each side of the first neck support area at the outer rearedge of the back surface. An edge region is between the parting line andthe outer rear edge of the back surface. The trough, the side supportareas, and the neck support areas, one of which is within the partingline, form a concave surface for balancing and maintaining the person'shead in the neutral resting position. A top of the front surface abovethe second neck support area between the parting line and the outer rearedge of the back surface has a concave shape.

In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the side supportareas are configured to provide side support to the person's head in afirst alignment and to provide side support to a person's head, as wellas neck support in a second alignment, the first alignment and thesecond alignment being 180° out of alignment, with regard to rotationaround the trough center point.

In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, any given contourline of the front surface smoothly transitions between the trough andthe side support areas in the shape of a logarithmic function such asthat which is generally approximated by f(x)=2 log(10x)−x².

In one exemplary embodiment, the edge region is sloping.

In one exemplary embodiment, the pillow is shaped like a heart with theside support areas being lobes of the heart, the concave shape of thetop of the front surface being a bridge between the lobes, and the necksupport area being a bottom rounded edge of the heart.

In one exemplary embodiment, the pillow contains elastomeric fillselected from the group consisting of an elastomer, a gel filled pouch,an air filled bladder, a polyurethane foam, a latex foam, a memory foam,cotton, and feathers.

In one exemplary embodiment, the pillow further includes a first hookand loop fastener strip at the center of the trough, and a cover havinga second hook and loop fastener strip for attaching to the first hookand loop fastener strip such that the cover conforms to the concavesurface.

In one exemplary embodiment, the pillow further includes a side pocketin the cover to which a portable media player can be attached or withinwhich a portable media player can be inserted.

In one exemplary embodiment, the pillow further includes an interiorpocket interior to the cover; and a zip fastener attached to the coverfor opening and closing the cover and for providing access to theinterior pocket.

In one exemplary embodiment, the pillow is rollable and insertable intoa tube shaped container; and the pillow expands to a designed form whenremoved from the container.

In one exemplary embodiment, the pillow further includes hook and loopfastener strips on the back surface for attaching to an underlyingsurface.

In one exemplary embodiment, the cover is a material selected from thegroup consisting of leather, synthetic leather, fabric, and plastic.

In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a width of thecontour shaped support pillow between edges of the side support areas isbetween 150 mm and 300 mm; a height of the contour shaped support pillowbetween edges of the first neck support area and the second neck supportarea is between 100 mm and 260 mm; a thickness of a thickest portion ofthe side support areas is between 20 mm and 120 mm; and a thickness of acenter of the trough is between 0 mm and 20 mm.

In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a difference inthickness between the trough and the thickest portion of the sidesupport areas is between 0 mm and 120 mm.

In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a width of thecontour shaped support pillow between edges of the side support areas isbetween 190 mm and 300 mm; a height of the contour shaped support pillowbetween edges of the first neck support area and the second neck supportarea is between 150 mm and 260 mm; a thickness of a thickest portion ofthe side support areas is between 30 mm and 60 mm; and a thickness of acenter of the trough is between 0 mm and 20 mm.

In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a difference inthickness between the trough and the thickest portion of the sidesupport areas is between 0 mm and 60 mm.

In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a thickness of thefirst neck support area is between 30 mm and 50 mm, and a thickness ofthe second neck support area is between 10 mm and 20 mm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a contour shaped support pillow according to afirst exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the first exemplary embodiment showing thepillow supporting a person's head.

FIG. 2′ is a front view of the first exemplary embodiment showing thepillow rotated 180° and supporting a person's head.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the first exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the first exemplary embodiment showing thepillow supporting a person's head.

FIG. 5 is a section view of the first exemplary embodiment along thecross-section line a-a′ of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5′ is another section view of the first exemplary embodiment alongthe cross-section line a-a′ of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a top down view of the first exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a section view of the first exemplary embodiment along thecross-section line b-b′ of FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a front view of the first exemplary embodiment illustratingthe dynamic front surface movement of the first exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the first exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 10 a is a front view of a contour shaped support pillowillustrating a hook and loop fastener strip according to a secondexemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 b is a side view illustrating the hook and loop fastener stripsof the pillow and the pillow cover.

FIG. 11 is a side view of an interior pocket according to a thirdexemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a front view of the interior pocket according to the thirdexemplary embodiment.

FIG. 13 is another side view of the interior pocket according to thethird exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a front view of a side pocket according to a fourth exemplaryembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a front view illustrating an electronic device attached tothe side pocket of the fourth exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a front view illustrating an electronic device within theside pocket of the fourth exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a side view of the side pocket according to the fourthexemplary embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a side view illustrating an electronic device attached to theside pocket of the fourth exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a side view illustrating an electronic device within the sidepocket of the fourth exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 20 illustrates the contour shaped support pillow rolled up.

FIG. 21 illustrates inserting the rolled up contour shaped supportpillow into a tube container.

FIG. 22 illustrates the contour shaped support pillow within the tubecontainer.

FIG. 23 a illustrates a front view of the contour shaped support pillowwithin a carrying bag.

FIG. 23 b illustrates a side view of the contour shaped support pillowwithin a carrying bag.

FIG. 24 illustrates dimensions of the contour shaped support pillowaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 25 illustrates dimensions of the contour shaped support pillowaccording to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The contour shaped support pillows of exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention are optionally made from a variety of materials, suchas polyurethane or latex foams, memory foams, or of natural materialssuch as cotton, feathers, or the like. Other exemplary embodiments couldbe comprised of a combination of the above mentioned materials, or of aninflatable air bladder or a pre-shaped gel pouch, containing a materialsuch as silicone. The layering of different types of foam to achievedifferent types of firmness across the pillow's surface, with each layerbeing adjoined through adhesive to the one touching it, is conceivable.In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the pillow is madefrom resilient polyurethane foams through cast molding, free riseprocessing, injection molding, cutting, or the like. The pillow designtakes into account foam quality measuring units such as IndentationForce Deflection (IFD), Indentation Load Deflection (ILD), and foamrecovery time in order to provide for a foam body of comfortablefirmness and of high quality and durability. In an exemplary embodimentof the present invention, the pillow is covered with a material, whichis comfortable to the touch, such as leather, or a cotton material,synthetic leather, terry cloth, or the like. The cover can be fullyenclosing or it can be manufactured with a zipper or hook-and-loopfastener type opening which could then allow for the separation of thefill material from the cover for the purpose of separate use or ofcleaning each individual part of the pillow.

FIGS. 1-9 are views of contour shaped support pillow 10 according to afirst exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated inFIG. 1, the contour pillow 10 is formed of a resilient material, asdescribed above, in the general shape of a heart including a trough 11,an elevated neck support area 12, and two side support pads 13 and 14.The trough 11 has a parabolic shape and the surface smoothly transitionsbetween the trough 11 and the two side support pads 13, 14 and betweenthe trough 11 and the neck support areas 12, 18′. The contour pillow 10has a concave center shape, with the concave center located between theneck support area 12 and the concave exterior side 18 of theheart-shaped pillow. The concave exterior side 18 of the heart-shapedpillow reduces the contact area against the back of the head,particularly against the hair of a user, which minimizes heat build up,allows the head to breath while resting, and prevents “bed hair,” whichis difficult to style and brush into a desire shape or form.

All planar angles of the front face surface of the contour pillow 10change as per the cross-section illustration of FIG. 8. Parting line 15follows the exterior edge of the sides and top of the contour pillow 10.From the parting line 15, the contour pillow 10 slopes downward towardsthe exterior rear edges of the contour pillow 10. Providing for thecontour pillow 10 to slope downward toward the exterior rear edgesprovides for a larger rear surface area for making better contact withresting surfaces and a smaller contact area for a person's head. Thecontour of the edge can be a straight slope, concave, convex, or someother configuration that allows for a contact surface area to be lessthan a rear surface area. The smaller contact area for a person's headprevents the head from moving around too far from the trough 11, whichthus provides for maintaining a person's head in the trough 11.

The center contoured region, which includes trough 11 together with theelevated neck support area 12, is molded to receive the occipital regionof a user's head. The center contoured region minimizes forward forcetendencies. The unique shape of the contour pillow 10 ensures that theface remains clear and free, and the shape ensures that predominantlythe back side of a user's head is in contact with the front surface ofthe contour pillow 10 thereby minimizing any wrinkling effect on auser's clothing around the neck and shoulder region. The contour pillow10, through its contoured front panel design helps greatly in the centerstabilization of the head while in use, either in a seated or supineposition.

FIG. 2 illustrates how a person's head 20 would normally be placedagainst the contour pillow 10. FIG. 2′ is a front view of the firstexemplary embodiment showing the pillow rotated 180° and supporting aperson's head. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2′, the pillow 10 can berotated 180° such that the bridge of the heart-shaped pillow (i.e., theconcave edge portion 18) is located under the person's neck and thesupport area 12 is located above the person's head 20. In such apositioning, the pillow 10 provides an adequate amount of rear necksupport utilizing a minimal area through support lip 18′ and a greateramount of side neck support through side support pads 13, 14. Inaddition, in such positioning, the neck support contact area is reduced,as concave edge portion 18 reduces the amount of contact the pillowmakes with the neck, thus still providing adequate neck support with thebenefit of allowing air circulation to flow around the neck for a coolerfeel. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the person's head 20 is supportedsideways by the side support pads 13 and 14. Parting line 15 follows theexterior edge of the sides and top of the pillow 10, but ends at a rearof each bottom side of the pillow 10 so that a person's neck would notmake contact with the parting line 15.

FIG. 3 illustrates the flat back surface 30. The back surface 30 mayinclude hook-and-loop fastener attach strips 31 and stitch lines 32attaching the strips 31 to the back surface 30 of the contour pillow 10.The back surface 30 may be formed of a material such as a thin latexrubber. This back surface 30 co-acts with the underlying surface 42 uponwhich the user wishes to rest. The thin latex rubber materialcounteracts sideways or vertical slipping tendencies of the contourpillow 10 when in use against the underlying bottom surface 42.

FIG. 4 illustrates the relative position of a user's head 20 in relationto the contour pillow 10 while resting against the pillow 10 at thefirst design resting position. FIG. 4 shows the shape of the elevatedneck support area 12 and the side contour line 41 of the side supportpad 14. FIG. 4 also shows the pillow's placement against a flat surface42. Alternatively, the pillow 10 may be used against other types ofsurfaces, including surfaces that are not flat. FIG. 4 furtherillustrates the position of the hook-and-loop fastener strip 31 andshows a parting stitch line 16 to which a cover would conform. It willbe appreciated that the contact area between the contour pillow 10 and aperson's head 20 is limited to the back side of the person's head andneck. It will also be appreciated that the neck support area 12 affordsa comfortable fit between the person's occipital region and the surfaceagainst which the person wishes to rest upon. Furthermore it will beappreciated that the center area of the contour pillow 10 does notcradle the user's top surface of the person's head 20, nor does thecontour pillow 10 cradle the circumference of the user's neck area.

FIGS. 5, 5′ are side views of the pillow 10 exposing the neck and headsupport area cross-section a-a′ of FIG. 2. The hook-and-loop fastenerstrip 31 position is also shown. FIGS. 5, 5′ show how the user's neck issupported by the neck support area 12, while the person's head 20 isresting against the concave trough 11. The resilient body 50 of thecompact resilient foam material is shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 6 shows a top down view of the contour pillow 10 receiving aperson's head 20. By examining the person's head position as it isreceived by the contour pillow 10 one will appreciate the head centeringqualities, and the limited intrusion or cradling properties of thecontour pillow 10. FIG. 6 illustrates a parting stitch line 17 to whicha cover would conform. Parting lines 15, 16, and 17 of FIG. 6 show wherethe pillow interior and cover may be mated together. For the cover toconform to the pillow in the concave trough 11, adhesives may be used.Alternatively, the cover may be stitched to the concave trough 11 of thepillow 10. Of course, different parting line formats may be used.

FIG. 7 is a section view of the first exemplary embodiment along thecross-section line b-b′ of FIG. 2. FIG. 8 illustrates the flow lines 82of the side support pads 13 and 14. FIG. 8 also shows the cross sectioncontour line 80 corresponding to cross section line b-b′ of FIG. 2intersecting with cross section contour line 81 corresponding to crosssection line a-a′ of FIG. 2 in the trough area 11. FIG. 8 further showsthe position of the neck support area 12 and the flow line 83 acrossthis neck support area. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the contourpillow 10 according to the first exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 10 a is a front view of a contour shaped support pillow 10illustrating a hook and loop fastener strip 100 according to a secondexemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 b is a side viewillustrating the hook and loop fastener strips of the pillow and thepillow cover. As depicted in FIG. 10 a and FIG. 10 b, the pillow 10includes a hook and loop fastener strip 100 and the cover 104 includes acorresponding hook and loop fastener strip 100′. The hook and loopfastener strip 100 is aligned with the corresponding hook and loopfastener strip 100′ on an interior side of the cover. The hook and loopfastener strips 100, 100′ may be Velcro® and may include hook fastenersor loops, or both. Velcro® is a registered trademark of VelcroIndustries B.V. The hook and loop fastener strip 100 allows a cover witha corresponding hook and loop fastener strip 100′ to attach to thepillow 10 in the concave trough 11. Alternatively, the cover may beattached to the pillow 10 in the trough 11 with buttons, button snaps,glue, stitches, or other means currently for attaching to surfacestogether. Attaching the pillow cover to the pillow 10 in the concavetrough 11 allows the cover to make contact with the foam material of thepillow 10, thereby preventing the material from exerting a forceupwardly on a person's head away from the foam material. In addition,attaching the pillow cover to the pillow 10 in the concave trough 11allows for small air gaps between the person's head and the pillowcover, which helps to reduce heat accumulation.

FIG. 11 is a side view of an interior pocket 101 according to a thirdexemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a front viewof the interior pocket 100. FIG. 13 is another side view of the interiorpocket 100. As depicted in FIGS. 11-13, the pillow 10 may furtherinclude an interior pocket 101, which is interior to the cover 104covering the foam material 103 of the pillow 10. The interior pocket 101may be revealed by unzipping the cover at zipper 102. Alternatively, thecover may be closed/opened with buttons, button snaps, hook and loopfasteners, or other types of zip fasteners. The interior pocket 101 mayhold personal items, such as lip balm, ear plugs, or other small itemsto which a user would like access before or during sleeping periods. Inaddition, the interior pocket 101 may hold additional items, such asoffice notes, personal notes from loved ones, and pictures.

FIG. 14 is a front view of a side pocket 105 according to a fourthexemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a front viewillustrating an electronic device attached to the side pocket 105. FIG.16 is a front view illustrating an electronic device within the sidepocket 105. FIG. 17 is a side view of the side pocket 105. FIG. 18 is aside view illustrating an electronic device attached to the side pocket105. FIG. 19 is a side view illustrating an electronic device within theside pocket 105. As illustrated in FIGS. 14-19, the pillow 10 mayfurther include one or more side pockets 105. The side pocket 105 allowsa portable media player 106 to attach to the pocket 105 or to beinserted within the pocket 105. By providing an attachment location fora portable media player 106, users may use the pillow 10 while listeningto music on the portable media player 106.

FIG. 20 illustrates the contour shaped support pillow 10 rolled up. FIG.21 illustrates inserting the rolled up contour shaped support pillow 10into a tube container 110. FIG. 22 illustrates the contour shapedsupport pillow 10 within the tube container 110. Between uses, thecontour shaped support pillow 10 can be rolled up and placed within asmall, thin container such as a tube-shaped container 110. When a userwould like to use the pillow, such as on a flight, the user can pull outthe rolled up pillow 10 and the pillow 10 will expand to its originalshape and form.

FIGS. 23 a, 23 b illustrate front and side views of the contour shapedsupport pillow 10 within a carrying bag 111. Alternatively, betweenuses, the contour shaped support pillow 10 can be stored within acarrying bag 111.

FIG. 24 illustrates dimensions of the contour shaped support pillowaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the contour shapedsupport pillow has a width between 150 mm and 300 mm and a heightbetween 100 mm and 260 mm. In addition, a thickness of the trough isbetween 0 mm and 20 mm, a thickness of the thickest portion of the sidesupports is between 20 mm and 120 mm, a thickness of the first necksupport area is between 30 mm and 50 mm, and a thickness of the secondneck support area is between 10 mm and 20 mm. Thus, according to anexemplary embodiment of the present invention, a difference in thicknessbetween the trough and the side supports is between 0 mm and 120 mm.

FIG. 25 illustrates dimensions of the contour shaped support pillowaccording to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, thecontour shaped support pillow has a width between 190 mm and 300 mm anda height between 150 mm and 260 mm. In addition, a thickness of thetrough is between 0 mm and 20 mm, a thickness of the thickest portion ofthe side supports is between 30 mm and 60 mm, a thickness of the firstneck support area is between 30 mm and 50 mm, and a thickness of thesecond neck support area is between 10 mm and 20 mm. Thus, according toanother exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a difference inthickness between the trough and the side supports is between 0 mm and60 mm.

The pillow of exemplary embodiments of the present invention offers acomfortable front form molded to fit the contour and shape of a person'sback skull and neck areas, and designed to support the back side of theskull without imposing any twisting moments on the person's skull.

It is recognized that proper fill material thickness between the skullarea, at each point on the skull, and the surface upon which the skullis resting is important. Too thick of a fill will yield forward pressureon a person's head, not enough fill will yield a lack of support, truefor any given point on the skull.

The contour of the pillow can be approximated by parabolic andlogarithmic type curves. The trough 11 represents the fill space betweenthe maximum curvature of a person's rear skull with the surface uponwhich the person chooses to rest. The thickness at this particular pointdetermines the angle of the chamberlain's line and the resulting flexionangle when compared to the neutral head resting position. Further,points along the surface of the entire skull can be defined similarlyand the fill space between said points and the substantially flatsurface can then be determined. Each person's skull rounding is shapedslightly differently resulting in minute protrudences of the varyingskull forms into the parabolic/logarithmic contour pillow. These minuteindentations have been found to have no significant bearing on thecomfort, or functionality of the device, as long as these variances areabsorbed by proper fill material qualities, such as materialcomposition, firmness and resilience, of which memory foam seems to bethe best.

As the skull is a rounded object, any fill material height movingoutwardly from the trough point 11 must also conform to the requirementsdescribed above, meaning proper fill material thickness must be chosenat any point where the pillow contacts the back area of a person'sskull. A choice too thick will yield a rotational momentum imposed onsaid person's head, counteracting it will require fatiguing muscle inputover the time of use.

The contour of the pillow follows a series of parabolic and logarithmiclines moving outwardly from the trough 11 to define proper materialthickness at each point which contacts the person's skull and neckareas, resulting in a concave trough area and a varying convex edgealong the circumference of the pillow's outer edge.

The height or focus of each parabola has been chosen to result in assmall a shape as possible to allow for maximum comfort, also to allowfor a form that is not intrusive on a person's space, and to allow forthe object to be easily carried in transport, and also to reducemanufacturing costs by using the minimum amount of material to achieveall of the objectives above.

The contour shaped support pillow of exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention provides a more useful, efficient, and comfortableresting surface for the seated or supine rest seeking user than priorart pillows.

While the above description contains much specificity, these should notbe construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather asan exemplification of one or more preferred embodiments thereof. It willoccur to those skilled in the art that modifications and alternativescan be practiced within the spirit of the invention. Many othervariations are possible. For example, embodiments of different basicshapes are possible, such as but not limited to oval or triangularshapes. Also other embodiments may contain, as possible fill materials,gel filled pouches or air filled bladders of the same shape as thepillow to name a few variations. The materials used to cover the pillowcan vary from leather, to synthetic leather, to cotton, or terry cloth,or any other different varieties of cover materials can be used. Also,instead of using the described hook-and-loop strips to fasten the pillowto a given surface, one could use snaps, clips, or the like, and stripsof different shapes to affix the pillow to any given attaching surface,or no attachment mechanisms at all can be an option as well.Furthermore, instead of using a back material which displays an adhesivelike quality such as a latex material described herein, one could usepatches of gel which could be made part of the pillow's make-up, orsimilar to create an affinity between the back panel of the pillow andthe surface upon which it is resting, though this is not a requirementof the design either. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should bedetermined not by the embodiments illustrated, but by the appendedclaims and their legal equivalents.

1. A contour shaped support pillow for balancing and maintaining aperson's head in a neutral resting position, comprising: a troughlocated at an upper center of a front surface of the pillow; sidesupport areas on the front surface at a right side of the trough and aleft side of the trough; a first neck support area on the front surfacebelow the trough; a second neck support area on the front surface abovethe trough; a substantially flat back surface adjoining the frontsurface at an outer rear edge; a parting line on the front surface ofthe pillow following the outer rear edge and terminating on each side ofthe first neck support area at the outer rear edge of the back surface;and an edge region between the parting line and the outer rear edge ofthe back surface, wherein the trough, the side support areas, the firstneck support area, and the second neck support area within the partingline form a concave surface for balancing and maintaining the person'shead in the neutral resting position, wherein a top of the front surfaceabove the second neck support area between the parting line and theouter rear edge of the back surface has a concave shape.
 2. The contourshaped support pillow of claim 1, wherein the side support areas areconfigured to provide side support to the person's head in a firstalignment and to provide side support to a person's head and neck in asecond alignment, the first alignment and the second alignment being180° out of alignment.
 3. The contour shaped support pillow of claim 1,wherein a contour of the front surface smoothly transitions between thetrough and the side support and the neck support areas in the shape ofparabolic and logarithmic approximated curves.
 4. The contour shapedsupport pillow of claim 1, wherein the edge region is sloping.
 5. Thecontour shaped support pillow of claim 1, wherein the pillow is shapedlike a heart with the side support areas being lobes of the heart, thesecond neck support area and the concave shape of the top of the frontsurface being a bridge between the lobes, and the first neck supportarea being a bottom rounded edge of the heart.
 6. The contour shapedsupport pillow of claim 1, wherein the pillow contains elastomeric fillselected from the group consisting of an elastomer, a gel filled pouch,an air filled bladder, a polyurethane foam, a latex foam, a memory foam,cotton, and feathers.
 7. The contour shaped support pillow of claim 1,further comprising: a first hook and loop fastener strip at the centerof the trough; and a cover having a second hook and loop fastener stripfor attaching to the first hook and loop fastener strip such that thecover conforms to the concave surface.
 8. The contour shaped supportpillow of claim 7, further comprising: a side pocket in the cover towhich a portable media player can be attached or within which a portablemedia player can be inserted.
 9. The contour shaped support pillow ofclaim 7, further comprising: an interior pocket interior to the cover;and a zip fastener attached to the cover for opening and closing thecover and for providing access to the interior pocket.
 10. The contourshaped support pillow of claim 7, wherein: the pillow is rollable andinsertable into a tube shaped container; and the pillow expands to adesigned form when removed from the container.
 11. The contour shapedsupport pillow of claim 7, further comprising: hook and loop fastenerstrips on the back surface for attaching to an underlying surface. 12.The contour shaped support pillow of claim 7, wherein the cover is amaterial selected from the group consisting of leather, syntheticleather, fabric, and plastic.
 13. The contour shaped support pillow ofclaim 7, wherein: a width of the contour shaped support pillow betweenedges of the side support areas is between 150 mm and 300 mm; a heightof the contour shaped support pillow between edges of the first necksupport area and the second neck support area is between 100 mm and 260mm; a thickness of a thickest portion of the side support areas isbetween 20 mm and 120 mm; and a thickness of a center of the trough isbetween 0 mm and 20 mm.
 14. The contour shaped support pillow of claim13, wherein a difference in thickness between the trough and thethickest portion of the side support areas is between 0 mm and 120 mm.15. The contour shaped support pillow of claim 7, wherein: a width ofthe contour shaped support pillow between edges of the side supportareas is between 190 mm and 300 mm; a height of the contour shapedsupport pillow between edges of the first neck support area and thesecond neck support area is between 150 mm and 260 mm; a thickness of athickest portion of the side support areas is between 30 mm and 60 mm;and a thickness of a center of the trough is between 0 mm and 20 mm. 16.The contour shaped support pillow of claim 15, wherein a difference inthickness between the trough and the thickest portion of the sidesupport areas is between 0 mm and 60 mm.
 17. The contour shaped supportpillow of claim 7, wherein: a thickness of the first neck support areais between 30 mm and 50 mm, and a thickness of the second neck supportarea is between 10 mm and 20 mm.
 18. A contour shaped support pillow forbalancing and maintaining a person's head in a neutral resting position,comprising: a trough located at an upper center of a front surface ofthe pillow; side support areas on the front surface at a right side ofthe trough and a left side of the trough; a first neck support area onthe front surface below the trough; a second neck support area on thefront surface above the trough; a substantially flat back surfaceadjoining the front surface at an outer rear edge; a parting line on thefront surface of the pillow following the outer rear edge andterminating on each side of the first neck support area at the outerrear edge of the back surface; an edge region between the parting lineand the outer rear edge of the back surface; a first hook and loopfastener strip at the center of the trough; and a cover having a secondhook and loop fastener strip for attaching to the first hook and loopfastener strip such that the cover conforms to the concave surface,wherein the trough, the side support areas, the first neck support area,and the second neck support area within the parting line form a concavesurface for balancing and maintaining the person's head in the neutralresting position, wherein a top of the front surface above the secondneck support area between the parting line and the outer rear edge ofthe back surface has a concave shape, wherein the pillow is shaped likea heart with the side support areas being lobes of the heart, the secondneck support area and the concave shape of the top of the front surfacebeing a bridge between the lobes, and the first neck support area beinga bottom rounded edge of the heart, wherein the pillow containselastomeric fill selected from the group consisting of an elastomer, agel filled pouch, an air filled bladder, a polyurethane foam, a latexfoam, a memory foam, cotton, and feathers, wherein a width of thecontour shaped support pillow between edges of the side support areas isbetween 190 mm and 300 mm; a height of the contour shaped support pillowbetween edges of the first neck support area and the second neck supportarea is between 150 mm and 260 mm; a thickness of a thickest portion ofthe side support areas is between 30 mm and 60 mm; a thickness of acenter of the trough is between 0 mm and 20 mm; a difference inthickness between the trough and the thickest portion of the sidesupport areas is between 0 mm and 60 mm, a thickness of the first necksupport area is between 30 mm and 50 mm, and a thickness of the secondneck support area is between 10 mm and 20 mm, and wherein the sidesupport areas are configured to provide side support to the person'shead in a first alignment and to provide side support to a person's headand neck in a second alignment, the first alignment and the secondalignment being 180° out of alignment.
 19. The contour shaped supportpillow of claim 18, wherein the edge region is sloping.
 20. The contourshaped support pillow of claim 18, further comprising: a side pocket inthe cover to which a portable media player can be attached or withinwhich a portable media player can be inserted.
 21. The contour shapedsupport pillow of claim 18, further comprising: an interior pocketinterior to the cover; and a zip fastener attached to the cover foropening and closing the cover and for providing access to the interiorpocket.
 22. The contour shaped support pillow of claim 18, wherein: thepillow is rollable and insertable into a tube shaped container; and thepillow expands to a designed form when removed from the container. 23.The contour shaped support pillow of claim 18, further comprising: hookand loop fastener strips on the back surface for attaching to anunderlying surface.
 24. The contour shaped support pillow of claim 18,wherein the cover is a material selected from the group consisting ofleather, synthetic leather, fabric, and plastic.
 25. The contour shapedsupport pillow of claim 18, wherein a contour of the front surfacesmoothly transitions between the trough the side support and the necksupport areas in the shape of parabolic and logarithmic approximatedcurves.